Compliance & Regulation
Tribunal clears solicitor but refuses to order costs against SRA
A solicitor has been cleared by a tribunal of misleading the court but failed in his bid for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to pay him almost £100,000 in costs as a result.
Complaint over law firm’s radio advert rejected
A Merseyside law firm has been cleared of breaking Advertising Standards Authority rules with a radio advert that highlighted the fear of “a social worker at your door to take your child”.
UK unexpectedly reduces tax scheme reporting burden on firms
The government has unexpectedly announced that DAC 6, an EU cross-border tax transparency rule with major implications for international law firms, will be rewritten in the wake of the Brexit trade deal.
Solicitor “took advantage” of daughter-in-law over flat purchase
A solicitor who took unfair advantage of his own daughter-in-law by not completing his purchase of her flat and not telling her, and then renting it out for his own benefit, has been struck off.
SRA ordered to pay solicitor costs over botched prosecution
A tribunal has ordered the Solicitors Regulation Authority to pay a solicitor £22,500 in costs after ruling that many of the allegations made against him were not properly brought.
Leading firms fined for accounts rules breaches
Two well-known law firms have accepted fines from the SRA – one for allowing its client account to be used as a banking facility and the other for holding disbursements in its office account.
Struck-off solicitor receives pardon from President Trump
A solicitor struck off for making false statements to the Mueller inquiry into alleged Russian involvement in the election of US president Donald Trump has received a presidential pardon.
“Hundreds of millions” of pounds laundered through conveyancers
It is likely that criminals launder “hundreds of millions” of pounds with the inadvertent aid of conveyancers across the UK, the government has warned. London litigation firms are also being targeted.
High Court rejects solicitor’s appeal against strike-off
The High Court has rejected an appeal from a solicitor struck off for persuading a vulnerable client to pay £4,700 into her personal bank account.
SRA fails in bid to sell solicitor’s properties to recoup intervention costs
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has failed in its bid to sell two properties to recoup £354,000 of the costs of intervening in a solicitor’s practice.
Blog
Is your Google Ads budget funding your competitors’ AI visibility?
If your cost-per-click has crept up again this year, you’ve probably assumed the market simply got more expensive. That’s the wrong way to read what’s happening.
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
